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RoboCop
This article deals with the cyborg. For the model cop and world class husband, see Murphy. Project history When the OCP Security Concepts project ED-209 ran into serious delays and cost overruns, the Old Man ordered a backup plan. Bob Morton took the assignment. OCP restructured the Detroit Police Department with "prime candidates" according to risk factor, and another victim of criminality was soon expected to be found in the next soon. After the failed presentation of the ED prototype, Morton approached the Old Man over the protests of Dick Jones. The Old Man was curious enough to invite Morton and his staff for a full presentation. Character Overview Total Body Prosthesis After receiving the call from the emergency room, the scientists and surgeons at Security Concepts swung into action, harvesting what was left of brutally slain police officer Alex Murphy's organic components: parts of his digestive tract, most of his brain, several organs and his left arm, though the arm was later amputated on the behest of Bob Morton, effectively turning Murphy's remains into the OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001, or RoboCop, as he is more widely known, a cyborg with computer and mechanically assisted reflexes, memory and law enforcement programming and a selection of dynamic software for plotting strategies and ballistic vectors in any situation. In short, the ultimate crime fighting machine. Go get 'em, Boy! Bob Morton observed his initial evaluation and testing personally, and was impressed with everything from his marksmanship trials, during which he shot the cardboard head off a humanoid target, to his firm grip, which he was reliably informed could "break every bone in your hand". RoboCop's first field test was just as impressive, during which he used his advanced on-board technology to plot a vector for a bullet to sail harmlessly through a female hostage's skirts and cripple a would-be rapist. Later on, in the very same night, he used thermographic vision to save the then Mayor from the clutches of a maniacal politician. Bucket Boy's Online! However, all was not proceeding quite according to OCP's initial projections. His memory wiped and on-board programming directing his actions, it was assumed all scintillas of Murphy's personality had died with him on the operating table. But this proved not to be entirely true. One night, as the machine was at rest and sitting in his chair, it began to experience detailed synaptic response: a vivid dream, of his former life, torture and death at the hands of a bunch of murderers. RoboCop wakes suddenly, and, ignoring the science team's protestations, walks out of the precinct. Coincidentally, Officer Lewis is just on her way in with a suspect and her new partner. Having noticed RoboCop twirling his gun into his holster during calibration earlier in the week, she barrs his way and, after a few tries, manages to get his attention, then tells him he used to be Murphy. RoboCop hesitates, seemingly unable to process the data, before continuing on his way out. Dead or Alive You're Coming with Me After driving around the city looking for crime, RoboCop spots a biker holding up a gas station and closes in, managing to get the drop on him and ordering him to give it up. In the ensuing panic and eruption of gunfire and gasoline, Emil relates to RoboCop that it is not the first time they have crossed paths. Indeed, this is the third time elements of something other than OCP's programming have awakened something inside his subconcious and RoboCop is stunned, playing Emil's statement back to himself several times. Just managing to regain his sanity in time to prevent Emil's getaway by firing at his motorcycle and sending him smashing into a parked car, RoboCop pushes Emil for more information, but, injured and in shock, Emil can physically say no more. Heading back to Metro West, RoboCop barges into the Detroit Police Department's record room and uses his built-in interface hardware to jack into the database, uploading his stored video of Emil and identifying his known accomplices. Recognising Clarence from his dream as the man who fired the final, fatal shot, Robocop examines Clarence's felony rap sheet and discovers he is a suspect in the murder of Officer Alex Murphy, noted in large, red letters as 'Deceased.' 548 Primrose Lane Compelled to discover who he used to be, RoboCop travels to his old family home, finding it empty, up for sale, and vandalised. As he walks through the empty rooms, an annoying auto-salesman stipulating the perks and benefits of the house, his staccato visions and disjointed memories entirely take over his perceived reality. He sees his wife, his son, and emotions course through him, but he is ultimately left with an empty, cold room in a vacant house. He turns to leave, confused and angry, pausing only to throw his metal fist through the screen of the auto-salesman. Despite his inability to remember who he used to be, there is one thing RoboCop is certain of. That Clarence Boddicker is the one who did this to him. Let's Talk First tracking down Leon Nash at a nightclub, RoboCop finds out from him that Clarence is doing business with Sal at his huge drugs factory set up in an old supermarket. RoboCop demonstrates his highly advanced targetting system again by marking the positions of potential shooters, tracking them, and opening fire - with deadly accuracy - when the shot is right, often without even having to physically look at the target. During the brutal shootout, Sal and Steve Minh and all the factory workers are killed, Joe Cox is incapacitated and Clarence is cornered. RoboCop brutalises him, throwing him through windows to land on floors covered in broken glass, and Clarence desperately tries to talk his way out of it, but RoboCop moves to kill him, wrapping a powerful hand around his neck and squeezing. Alas, his programming forbids him to do so, and he reluctantly releases him, instead bringing him to Metro West and throwing him to the cops therein, who are all crowded around Sgt. Reed and threatening strike action because of the monumental amount of deaths and injuries the beat cops are suffering, and making it clear that Clarence is the one responsible for most of them. It Sounds Like I'm in a lot of Trouble, Officer... "What did you think? That you were an ordinary police officer? You're our product, and we can't very well have our products turning against us, can we?" : - Dick Jones revealing the purpose of RoboCop's hidden programming. During his beating, Clarence revealed to RoboCop that it is Dick Jones who he works for and RoboCop heads straight there from Metro West. However, on approaching the grand glass doors to Jones's office, the doors swing open and Dick Jones casually greets him, even agreeing to be arrested and taken to the station. However, as RoboCop closes in, his firmware goes into spasm, warning him that he has performed some hitherto unknown violation. Dick Jones gleefully reveals that he had a vital part in designing RoboCop's psychological profile, most importantly a directive which precludes him from arresting any senior member of OCP. Using every ounce of strength, RoboCop manages to unsheath his pistol, but cannot bring it to bear. Whilst RoboCop is wrestling with his malfunctioning software, Dick Jones unveils his own Security Concepts crime-fighting machine: an ED-209. As it bears down on the crippled form of RoboCop, Dick Jones gloats, "I had to kill Bob Morton because he made a mistake. Now it's time to erase that mistake!" And ED-209 opens fire, throwing him through the heavy set of double doors in a shower of glass and splinters. As he pulls himself upright, ED-209 delivers an uppercut powerful enough to bust open RoboCop's visor and throws him across the office to land heavily on the marble floor. Before he can get to his feet, the droid is upon him. It raises its cannon, the muzzle hovering mere inches from RoboCop's face, and prepares to execute him, but RoboCop demonstrates the biggest advantage his design incorporates: a human brain, able to make quick and complex decisions much faster than ED-209's logic circuits. He grabs the droid's arm and, using all his strength, deflects its aim, then directs the blazing cannon into the other arm, which explodes, stunning the machine and allowing RoboCop to escape to a staircase. A further advantage to his design becomes apparent at this point: his fairly normal sized, stair-friendly feet. ED-209 trips and falls behind him, unable to get up, thrashing wildly on the landing, and RoboCop makes good his escape. However, on staggering through the door to the parking lot, RoboCop is confronted with the unnerving sight of about thirty heavily armed SWAT team members and a load of cops, aiming lights and the muzzles of pistols, shotguns, submachine-guns and assault rifles at him. There's a moment's silence, before Lieutenant Hedgecock's voice echoes out from a loudspeaker. They are here to destroy RoboCop. Kaplan and a few other Precinct cops protest, but their concerns fall upon deaf ears, and they walk off in disgust. Meanwhile, the others open fire, their combined fire, excellent training and decent weaponry dealing some vicious damage, crippling RoboCop's leg, chewing holes in his armour, and the cyborg makes a dash, or rather a stumbling limp, for the multi-story parkin lot's internal wall, throwing himself over, and rolling between and beneath the different levels and out of sight of the SWAT team... but finds himself bathed in the lights of another police cruiser. The door opens... to reveal Lewis, who hurriedly helps him aboard before escaping the scene. I Can Feel Them, But I Can't Remember Them "Murphy had a wife and son. What happened to them?" : - RoboCop after removing his helmet and gazing at Murphy's cold, ashen visage. Being heavily damaged, RoboCop affects some repairs as he hides out at the steel mill as Lewis goes off to the now deserted police station and brings back some tools and supplies. After sorting out the servos in his arm and leg, RoboCop removes his damaged helmet and sadly reminisces about the life he cannot remember. His memories are broken and disjointed, but the emotions haunt him deeply. His targetting system is also damaged, but, with some help aiming from Lewis, he soon resets it to good order, and not a moment too soon, for at that moment, a black 6000 SUX and a beat up panel van cruise into the foundry, disgorging the remaining members of the Boddicker Gang, all armed with heavy weapons. RoboCop reloads the Auto-9, tells Lewis to get the car, and prepares for the final showdown. The Wreckin' Crew is Here! Moving out of sight of the gang, RoboCop manages to get above and behind them upon a catwalk. As the gang stalk further into the complex, jittery and on edge, he frizzes a sheet of scrap metal across the roadway, where it clatters loudly to the floor. The gang turn in unison and open fire, but realise they've been had. Before they can do anything else, though, RoboCop calls out from behind them, and immediately fires a lethal three burst volley of fire at Joe, retreating before the others can aim any decent shots. Everything kicks off, Emil, in the van, accelerates around the service road to cut RoboCop off from the rear, whilst Clarence circles around in the SUX and Leon chases him through the structure. It is Emil who catches up to him first, putting pedal to the metal and aiming to run RoboCop down, but the cyborg sends him ducking for cover with another burst of fire and he loses control, ploughing his van through the shell of a vat marked "Toxic Waste". Unfortunately for Emil, the vat is full to the brim. RoboCop half turns to observe the hapless young man washed out of the walk-through van's rear doors, struggling in the chemical surf, his body melting in the terrible mixture, his ruined throat managing a blood-curdling whine. RoboCop goes after Leon, who is nimbly skirting around the silos and machinery, squeezing off the occaisional ineffective shot, but, as RoboCop moves through the site, he comes upon an urgent scene: Clarence in a shallow drainage canal by his upturned SUX, putting round after round from his Desert Eagle into and around Lewis, who collapses bonelessly into the waters. RoboCop manages to get close enough to distract him mere seconds before Clarence executes her, and with his usual, casual cockiness, he gives up, tossing his pistol into the water and surrendering. But RoboCop makes it clear that he's not here to arrest him. He steps closer, Auto-9 raised, as Clarence backs off, confused and pleading for his life. Suddenly, a sound makes him look up, just in time to register a tonne of girders, scrap and other assorted chunks of metal piledrive him into the ground from a massive crane that Leon had been operating as Clarence was stalling him. Just as Clarence and Leon are celebrating, Lewis manages to fire off a shot from his discarded Cobra, which annihilates the control room... and sends Clarence into a rage. He grabs a length of scrap and splashes over to RoboCop and proceeds to batter him mercilessly. Robo manages to deflect a few of the blows, but an upended plunging strike gets through his parry, penetrates a fissure in his breastplate and hits home in something vital. RoboCop screams in pain, and Clarence brings his face in close as he spits a final goodbye to the cyborg. Thinking fast, RoboCop unsheathes his dataspike and stabs Clarence through the neck, opening a brutal wound, which pumps blood all over RoboCop's already filthy armour, and is sufficiently lethal that it kills Clarence in moments. Desperately, RoboCop calls to Lewis. She's in bad shape, but RoboCop reassures her not to worry: OCP can put anything back together. With Boddicker and his gang now history, RoboCop makes his way to the OCP Tower because there was only one man left, the Senior President of OCP: Dick Jones. How Can We Help You, Officer? "Dick Jones is wanted for murder. My programming will not allow me to act against an officer of this company." "This is absurd! That... ''thing... is a violent mechanical psychopath!"'' : - RoboCop and Dick Jones having it out to the Old Man. As soon as he pulls up outside the building, an ED-209 clocks him and strides quickly over, citing a parking violation. Quickly and smoothly, RoboCop slings a Cobra assault cannon across the roof and fires a devastating double tap, blowing the entire "head" from the legs of the machine, sending them drunkenly staggering for a few yards, before collapsing in a twitching heap of scrap. He then makes his way to the boardroom, bursting in just as Dick Jones is finishing an eloquent piece of wordplay, slamming open the double doors and stepping slowly inside. The executives inside are shocked, none more so than Dick Jones. RoboCop is indeed a chilling sight, his visor is absent, huge gaping holes cover his blackened, bullet riddled, bloodstained armour and his eyes are fixed on Dick Jones with murderous intent. Only the Old Man keeps his cool, asking how they can help the officer. His voice low and unemotional, RoboCop answers him. Dick Jones is a cold, heartless murderer. Dick Jones tries to defend himself and the Old Man rightly asks RoboCop what evidence he has of the allegations. There's a moment's pause... before RoboCop jacks his data spike - tarnished with Clarence's dried blood - into the computer suite in the wall. Dick Jones's face appears, and begins to speak, revealing to the entire board the depths of the man's corruption and evil: :"I had to kill Bob Morton because he made a mistake. Now it's time to erase that mistake!" The mood suddenly changes as accusing eyes fall on Dick Jones, but, leaping into action, he runs for the pistol, still on display in the board room after Kinney's death. RoboCop draws his own weapon, but Dick wraps an arm around the Old Man, jams the gun into his head and suddenly RoboCop finds himself in a hostage situation. Again. Jones begins shouting demands as RoboCop waits, weapon at the ready, unable to fire due to the continued affectation of Directive 4. It is then that the Old Man hollers for Dick's attention... and fires him on the spot. RoboCop thanks him as Directive 4 becomes instantly nullified... then opens fire, striking him with burst after burst, peppering his torso, sending him staggering to the massive glass windows looking down upon the corporate sprawl. A further burst holes the window and Donald Johnson, seeing what is about to happen, rises to his feet in amused anticipation. Sure enough, a final burst sends Jones crashing through it, falling, wailing, to his death on the concrete at the base of the OCP tower. Casually straightening his tie, the Old Man looks up. "Nice shooting, son," he asks RoboCop, "what's your name?" His demons quelled, and ready to accept his new life, RoboCop half turns. "Murphy." Back on the Beat After the death of Dick Jones and the dismissal or death of Lt. Hedgecock, RoboCop was put back on duty, fully refurbished with new blue-tinged armor plating after tending his damage sustained by ED-209 and Lt. Hedgecock and his swat team. Warren Reed, Lewis and the others realized that it was Dick Jones who ordered their former comrade Lt. Hedgecock to destroy Robocop. They presumed dismiss or execute him for following Dick Jones' orders to destroy Robocop. Whitakker is the new SWAT leader replacing Lt. Hedgecock. Officer Lewis was also allowed to serve as RoboCop's "partner," and the pair stayed on duty through the continuing police strike. Which much of the police force out on strike, Old Detroit sank deeper into decay, and chaos was on the rise. During this time, a new drug began hitting the streets called "Nuke." A bizarre cult formed around the drug and it's creator, a man called Cain. The Tech The OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001 is afforded the fastest reflexes made possible by modern technology, a memory assisted by an on-board computer, and programmed with a lifetime experience in on-the-street law enforcement. Prime directives : Main article: Prime Directives Fundemental to his operational limits are RoboCop's Prime Directives, a set of rules, unbreakable and unbendable, that RoboCop is firmware bound to uphold. They are as follows: #"Serve the public trust" #"Protect the innocent" #"Uphold the law" #(Classified) The fourth directive, which he was programmed to be unaware of unless it became relevant, rendered him physically incapable of placing any senior OCP employee under arrest: "any attempt to arrest a senior OCP employee results in shutdown". Senior Vice President Richard "Dick" Jones stated that Directive 4 was his contribution to RoboCop's psychological profile, for obvious reasons. Weapons Auto-9 RoboCop's primary weapon, the Auto-9 remains stored in a mechanical holster which deploys from RoboCop's right leg. It is also modified so it will not fire unless Robocop is the one using it. Though unnamed in the films, the script referenced the Auto-9 by name and it subsequently made it into promotional materials including action figures. In the first movie it was introduced during the firing range scene. In this scene, many of the officers are distracted by a very loud gun unlike anything they have ever heard. They all lean forward to see a large black hand firing the Auto 9. As they gather around, RoboCop shows off his skills by completely annihilating the cardboard cutout he was shooting at. He then raises his gun looking very pleased with himself. He then twirls the gun and puts it into the holster giving us our first look at his fancy internal holster. The TV series referenced the Auto-9 by name and added that the main version of the weapon was modified so that no one but RoboCop could actually fire it. In one episode Dr. Roger Yung, who created the Auto-9, uses the prototype to frame RoboCop for murder, showing that this model could be fired by anybody. Also in episode 11 The Human Factor, Webber is trying to purchase illegal weapons from a dealer. The dealer list loads of weapons and among them are "Auto-9 Avengers". It is unknown if these weapons resemble RoboCop's gun. In both Prime Directives and RoboCop: The Series, it could fire various types of ammunition which RoboCop could select at any given time from his HUD interface. Among the available ammunition types were standard rounds, armor piercing rounds capable of penetrating kevlar and even his own armor, and non lethal rounds. Some Japanese manufacturers have made replicas and it has even been recreated for use in some other movies, such as Sin City ''and City Hunter''. The base weapon is a Beretta 93R. Machine gun/rocket launcher The machine gun made its appearance in RoboCop 3 and was never referenced by name other than being called a "weapon arm" in promotional action figures, and a "gun arm" by the production team. To use it, RoboCop removes his left hand and replaces it with the weapon assembly. It contains a 9mm machine gun, a flamethrower and a small missile launcher with a projectile potent enough to destroy an armored vehicle. Mini-gun/cannon The mini-gun/cannon can be seen in Frank Miller's RoboCop comic book and was originally meant to be RoboCop's arm cannon for the final production of RoboCop 3. Flightpack/recharging station A large jetpack that allows RoboCop to fly. It also doubles as a replenishing system for when RoboCop's battery system is low on power. As seen in RoboCop 3, the jetpack allows Murphy to overcome his relatively limited mobility for tactical advantage in combat. Referred to in the film as a "flightpack" and by production as a "jetpack". Terminal strip RoboCop's terminal strip is a sharp spike-like device that protrudes from Robocop's right fist. This device can be used by Robocop to interface with a corresponding data port in order to download information from the police database and compare information he's gathered from his missions with the police database. Not actually a weapon, this device was also used to take out Clarence Boddicker; having pinned RoboCop under a pile of scrap metal, the cyborg waited for Boddicker to approach and then stabbed Boddicker in the throat, killing the crime lord. Later, he would also use the terminal strip to kill the criminal known as Bone Machine. The spike is also used by RoboCop in the third film to access the OCP mainframe where he finds that a young girl's parents have been eliminated. Ordnance In RoboCop: The Series, grenades called Ordinances were equipped in his left thigh holster that, when placed on an object, beeps. Once beeping, a shot from the Auto-9 will trigger it to ignite an explosion. Perception RoboCop has an internal zoom capability for better aim as well as tracking. RoboCop also has different vision modes but the only one that has been used in the movies, and only on two occassions, was thermal vision in RoboCop and RoboCop 3. His systems use a grid which is crucial to RoboCop's targeting as well as bullet trajectory (allowing him to make ricochet shots), though apparently the targeting reticle of RoboCop is internal to him, as seen in the first movie. As seen in RoboCop 2, RoboCop's programming prevents him from targeting children, which allowed Hob to shoot RoboCop and escape the Nuke drug lab. He also has a recorder which can detect voice fluctuations and stress as well as play back audio/visual. This recording capability enables RoboCop to document any situation he encounters with perfect recall and unbiased neutrality, with his memory being deemed through legal agreement as admissible evidence in a court of law. As seen in RoboCop 2, RoboCop possesses a directional microphone with which he can track conversations from a distance. It would seem to be very sensitive, as he can hear vehicles approaching from afar despite being indoors (as he did when he was hiding out in RoboCop 3). In the television series, he is capable of lie detection by means of a polygraph. Body structure RoboCop's body, while incorporating portions of Alex Murphy's living tissue, is largely electronic and mechanical. This interior structure is protected by an armored shell composed of "titanium laminated with kevlar" making RoboCop incredibly resilient against both bombs and bullets, as well as extreme impacts such as being hit by cars and falling off skyscrapers. As demonstrated in RoboCop, the body armor can sustain thousands of armor-piercing rounds before damage begins to appear on the armor itself. It is also highly resistant to heat, as in RoboCop, he was unaffected after being caught in a gas station explosion and in RoboCop 3 when he was briefly set aflame. His visor is made of the same material and a black strip of bulletproof anti-fog glass which protects the cranium apparatus and eyes. The visor also has an undercloth of Kevlar which protects the neck and covers up any wires etc. It should also be noted that the visor conceals most of Alex Murphy's face inside it. The visor is attached with screws. When the visor is removed only the front of Murphy's face, from the top of the neck up, is exposed; the back of his head is entirely mechanical In RoboCop 2, RoboCop's right arm contained a display that alerted personnel to his health status. RoboCop's hands also contain actuators strong enough to crush every bone in a human hand (about 400 foot pounds). His right hand also contains a spike (referred to by fans as a "dataspike" and by production as the "terminal strip") which is used to retrieve or display data from any computer bank with a corresponding port. At the end of the first film, the jack is also used as a stabbing weapon against the antagonist Clarence Boddicker. RoboCop is extremely strong, able to lift the front of the average car over his head with one arm or resist the crushing effort of a car crusher, as seen in the TV series (episodes 5 and 21, respectively). He was designed to be able "to penetrate virtually any building," and breaks locks with ease. In Frank Miller's RoboCop, RoboCop stores his reserve box magazines in his right wrist; this is never shown in the film series. He is seen reloading the Auto-9 in RoboCop 2 with a magazine already in hand at the start of the scene. In the later television series, the holster area of his left thigh is used to store grenades, though on some schematic drawings the same area is used to store an emergency oxygen tank. RoboCop implies that only Murphy's head and brain was used in the construction of RoboCop, as Morton states that "total body prosthesis" was an agreed-upon parameter. It is unclear in the first two films whether or not RoboCop's human face is merely a replica of Murphy's, as it contains a scar in the location where Boddicker shot him in the head, though he himself tells Murphy's wife (in RoboCop 2) that "they made this to honor him." After touching it, she says, "it's cold." In the script of the same film, it was initially planned that Cain and crew would remove Murphy's face during their attack on him, to reveal a Terminator-esque skull underneath. In RoboCop 3, Dr. Marie Lazarus, RoboCop's chief technician, stated that Murphy's face was indeed transplanted onto the mechanical skull, and that it is not a replica. In the first film it is mentioned that RoboCop eats a "rudimentary paste that sustains his organic systems." In RoboCop: Creating a Legend, a bonus feature on the RoboCop: 20th Anniversary DVD, it is speculated that Murphy's face was removed from his corpse and implanted on the cyborg's head to give RoboCop a sense of identity. This psychological disruption RoboCop may have experienced is explained from the basis that a person whose memory has been erased would still possess the memory of being human and would suffer a psychotic breakdown if that person saw the reflection of a robotic image instead of their original image of humanity. Disadvantages Despite all of Robocop's technological advances, he is still limited to mechanical maintenance, which means (just like any machine), he needs servicing and tune ups from time to time. On top of that, his organic systems need to be monitored as well therefore the scientist working on him (Dr. Marie Lazarus) would have to monitor both systems during his rest periods. Another one of Robocop's faults is that he is also programmable, meaning that in the wrong hands he can be programmed to be an incompetent officer or a dangerous threat to society. Robocop occasionally has flashbacks of his previous life as Alex J. Murphy, which causes him to have "dreams" when he is in his recharging state. This sometimes causes him to sleepwalk or wake up in shock. Behind the Scenes *The RoboSuit was designed by Rob Bottin, with additional work (including the under-helmet mechanics) by Miles Teves. RoboCop The single most expensive aspect of the original film was the RoboSuit. Producer Jon Davison estimates that around $1 million of the $13 million production was spent on the creation of the seven suits used in the film. Beginning with a bodycast of actor Peter Weller, the RoboSuit was sculpted from oil clay. Bottin's experience with urethane on another film project inspired him to cast the primary portions of the suit out of the material, believing that its flexibility would limit the amount of damage the suits would take. Unfortunately, the material also meant that repairs were difficult as the auto body filler used to restore the suits wouldn't adhere to the surface. The black portions of the suit were cast in foam rubber for flexibility. The helmets, along with a stunt suit used for the Shell station explosion, were cast in fiberglass. Disagreements over the design between Bottin and director Paul Verhoeven delayed the suit's creation, and they weren't delivered to the set until the very day they were required for filming. After several hours of struggling to get weller into the untested suit (anywhere from 6 to 11 hours, depending on who you ask) it then took the rest of the day to film a scene where Robo catches a set of thrown keys, the keys bouncing off of the foam rubber gloves take after take. Although the suit-up time was eventually reduced to around 1.5 hours, the third act of the film required Weller to wear complex prosthetics in place of the helmet. Conceptualized by Rob Bottin and designed by Miles Teves, Bottin himself sculpted the prosthetic appliances. It took four hours for makeup artist Stephan Dupuis to apply the makeup in addition to the regular suit-up time. The nature of the makeup, and the Dallas summer heat, meant that scenes could only be filmed every other day, since Weller's face would be blistered and need time to heal before the prosthetics could be applied again. For leg-holster shots, a cable and spring-actuated system was created and installed within the lower half of a RoboSuit created specifically for that purpose. Terminating at the waist, the gag was operated by technicians pulling cables offscreen. RoboCop 2 With the aesthetics of the RoboCop design already proven, Bottin & Co. could focus on improving the RoboSuits for the sequel. With input from Weller's experiences on the first film, the new suit was created from casts taken from the original molds, bodyshopped to a more refined appearance, and new molds taken. This time around, the suits were created from fiberglass and vacuum-formed plastic, with the gloves the only remaining foam rubber. The sections where the suit split apart were modified to make suit-up faster and easier, and the midsection was replaced with a series of interconnected parts that could twist and slide to allow movement. Although the suit's midsection was more restrictive than in the first film, the entire suit was lighter, more comfortable, and generally had a better range of motion. The under-helmet makeup was revisited, this time sculpted by Henry Alvarez, who used one of the remaining prosthetics from the first film as a basis. The leg-holster was also rebuilt for the film, using the more refined suit parts of the sequel, while also incorporating almost the entire body instead of just the legs. A technician, laying on a raised platform behind the holstering suit, could wear the suit arms and insert/remove the Auto-9 pistol as it was operated. RoboCop 3 With Peter Weller unable/unwilling to return for the second sequel, budget-minded Orion Pictures decided to cast a new actor in the role who could fit inside the suits created for the second film. Although Robert John Burke was a close match, several suit parts had to be modified to fit his body; the thighs and collar were extended, the interior of the helmet was enlarged, etc.. Overall, the suits were still the ones used on RoboCop 2, which meant that Burke had to endure not only the already restrictive and uncomfortable nature of the suits, but also all the additional weight of the auto body filler used to repair the suits over the course of RoboCop 2's production. RoboCop 3 did feature a few new additions not carried over from the first sequel, namely the "Flightpack" and "Weapon Arm". Although the specifics changed depending on what it was required to do within the scene, the Weapon Arm used a Calico 950A machine pistol, and an operating flamethrower. Additional versions, including one which fired a wire-guided model rocket, and another with a complex locking mechanism built in, could not be worn by the actor and were instead attached to an empty suit arm. The Flightpack was created from fiberglass and vacuum-formed plastic, with additional metal, plastic and rubber details added on, including illuminating lights and a version with mechanically actuated functions. Rob Bottin once again sculpted Murphy's prosthetics as he did on the first, noting that Burke's features weren't as complimentary to the design as Weller's were. The leg-holster effect, kept mostly intact from the second film, was modified to reflect the slight changes made to the suit's thighs. The Series With production of RoboCop The Series based in Canada, new suits were created for actor Richard Eden. Molds were taken from suits used on RoboCop 3, resulting in RoboSuits that didn't quite fit the actor, since the thighs and collar had been extended for Robert John Burke. The prosthetic makeup was mostly kept intact, with a few features simplified, but the face was resculpted. The large budget of The Series meant that the effects team could experiment, and Murphy's facial prosthetics were cast in silicone instead of foam latex. Unfortunately, silicone painting techniques were underdeveloped at the time, resulting in a pale and lifeless appearance unhelped by a soft and non-aggressive sculpture. Several new gags were created for The Series, including a Terminal Strip that could be attached to the actor's glove, enabling him to insert or remove it from computer interfaces without camera trickery. Although a left leg-holster was incorporated into the show, there was ever one built. The holster gag built for the sequels was reused or rebuilt for The Series, with the shots simply mirrored in post-production for the left leg. Prime Directives For the Prime Directives miniseries, Rob Bottin once again provided the suits, creating the aged and battle-damaged look of the RoboCop suits through intricate paint applications. For the larger RoboCable, the suits were cast in carbon fiber to reduce weight, with the joints extended to accomodate actor Maurice Dean Wint. However, the height of RoboCop actor Page Fletcher meant that the suits, which were actually rented from Bottin, had to be modified on-set without Bottin's permission. All leg holster shots in Prime Directives were reused from The Series, with a dark tint added for RoboCable's holsters. Portrayals RoboCop Peter Weller, a method actor known for playing everyman characters, was cast as Murphy/RoboCop in RoboCop. His light build made it easier to work in the bulky RoboCop costume. Peter spent seven months training with a Mime coach to fine tune his robotic movements only to find that the suit was far too bulky for what he had practiced. He used the practised movements and let the restrictions of the suit slow him down. RoboCop 2 In 1990, Peter Weller reprised his role in RoboCop 2. This time the suit was built out of fibreglass and was a lot easier to move in. This gave the look of a RoboCop who was now settled and used to his new body. However, although a second sequel and a television series were made, this was the last time Weller played the role, due to complaints of how cumbersome and exhausting it was to wear the suit and also because Weller found RoboCop 2 to be a very negative and disappointing film to work on. He complained about some scenes not making into the final cut, "There was a couple of things that made the character more human that weren't used. I can't remember exactly what the scenes were, I just remember wondering why they weren't in." These deleted scenes have never been included on home video releases. Weller's co-star, Nancy Allen, also had negative feelings regarding the second film. RoboCop 3 The star of the previous films, Peter Weller, did not reprise the role for RoboCop 3, as he was starring in Naked Lunch. Robert John Burke was signed to play the cyborg character instead. The RoboCop suit Burke wore in the movie was originally built for RoboCop 2. Since Burke was taller than Weller, he complained that wearing it was painful after a short time. Burke worked very hard to recreate the movements that Weller had perfected in the previous movies. Other than a very noticible change in the voice effects Burke's RoboCop was well received even if the movie wasn't. RoboCop: The Series In the early stages of casting for ''RoboCop: The Series ''Skyvision was in negotiation with Peter Weller, the original RoboCop, to reprise his role. However this did not come to fruition and Richard Eden was cast. Eden had the job of portraying a different side of RoboCop than had ever been seen before. He was a very convincing RoboCop until his helmet was removed. Some reviewers claimed that his face appeared too soft (feminine features). RoboCop had always had a somewhat menacing look about him without his helmet on. Eden did not look menacing at all in the makeup. In fact he always looked very sad. He also lacked the strong jaw line that Peter Weller and Robert Burke both had. RoboCop: Prime Directives In the miniseries RoboCop: Prime Directives , Page Fletcher played as the RoboCop. Many people have wondered how this decision came about, with Fletcher being shorter than most of the cast. Fletcher also did not mimic the movement style of previous RoboCop actors, instead creating his own style. Many fans of the series appreciate how hard it must be to work inside the suit all day long and the series sold well on DVD. If you are able to look past the small faults and look upon the series as a whole you will find Fletcher to be a pleasing addition to the line-up of actors to have played RoboCop. Gallery RoboCop (1987 film) Murphy.jpg MurphyItsYou.jpg R1Score.jpg Robocop psotzer.jpg RoboCop 2 Robocop_dismemberd.jpg‎ RoboTech.jpg Goodbye.jpg R2Score.jpg RoboCop 3 Robocop poster 3.jpg RoboCop: The Series RoboCop TV Series (no sticker).jpg Robo and Lippencott.jpg robocop tv vehicles.jpg RoboCop: The Animated Series 200px-RoboCop animated title screen.jpg RoboCopAnimated.jpg Robocop protagonists.jpg RoboCop: Alpha Commando Key art robocop alpha commando.jpg Alpha-cast1.jpg Category:Cyborgs Category:RoboCop characters Category:RoboCop 2 characters Category:RoboCop 3 characters Category:RoboCop: The Series characters Category:RoboCop: Prime Directives characters Category:RoboCop: The Animated Series characters Category:RoboCop: Alpha Commando characters Category:Characters Category:Male characters Category:Police Officers Category:Male Police Officers Category:Chess Player Category:DPD Officer